By Alice Uribe SYDNEY--National Australia Bank Ltd.'s first-half net profit more than doubled as the Australian and New Zealand economies rebounded from the pandemic more strongly than expected. The Australian bank said its statutory net profit totaled 3.21 billion Australian dollars (US$2.49 billion) in the six months through March, up from A$1.31 billion at the corresponding stage of the 2020 fiscal year. Cash earnings--a measure closely tracked by analysts that strips out non-core items such as revenue hedges and treasury shares--rose by 95% to A$3.34 billion. This was ahead of consensus expectations for cash earnings of A$2.95 billion. Chief Executive Ross McEwan said risks remained, despite the economic recovery in Australia and New Zealand.